Hand and power-operated gearing



Sept. 28, 1954 E N 2,690,085

HAND AND POWER-OPERATED GEARING Filed Nov. 7, 1951 "1' /23 a s a I i iso 40 1 238 ,-24 N44115:! H v i i u. u| 42 26 .2: 1 IJIIHIIIIHHII II IEI: 34

Patented Sept. 28, 1954 HAND AND POWER-OPERATED GEARING Howard G.Freeman, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Rockwood Sprinkler Company,Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 7,1951, Serial No. 255,216

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a fire-fighting turret and more particularlyto a system for remotely training a fire fighting turret by automatichydraulic means and by manual operation.

The fire fighting turret embodied in this invention is described asmounted on a vehicle although it is not to be thus limited. For examplethe turret device may be mounted on the roof of a crash truck. In thepast it has been customary to train these turrets by hand to direct thefire fighting material on a fire. Using this method, the fire apparatuscould not be brought too close to a fire because the operator could notwithstand the heat of the blaze. The operator was also exposed to theweather, which in northern climates can be very severe. Therefore, theprincipal object of this invention is to provide a fire fighting turretwhich can be trained from a remote position thus shielding the operatorfrom the fire and permitting the turret to be easily and accuratelytrained.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire fighting turretwhich can be remotely trained by manual operation when the hydraulicsystem becomes inoperative.

This and other features of this invention will be described in thespecifications and claim with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of the turret mounted on the roof of a crashtruck; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the turret training mechanism mountedon the turret; Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the turret trainingmechanism; Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the remote control hydraulicsystem for training the turret.

Referring to Fig. 1 this invention is described as embodied in a firefighting turret of the type disclosed in the co-pending application ofFreeman Serial No. 255,217 dated November 7, 1951. The turret device 2is mounted on a vehicle 4 which in my illustration is a crash truck. lheturret can be trained and elevated to direct a fire extinguishingmaterial on a fire. This turret is provided with an internal impingementdischarge nozzle 5 producing fog in accordance with the principlesdisclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,302,021 dated November 17, 1942 grantedto Howard G. Freeman. A cradle 6 is rotatably mounted about thedischarge nozzle. At one end of the cradle a shaper screen 8 is securedfor wide angle dispersion of the fire extinguishing material, while atthe other end of the cradle a stream shaper tube In is mounted toprovide for a concentration of the extinguishing material. As disclosedin the copending application of Freeman Serial No. 259,378 filedDecember 1, 1951, the turret can be elevated and the cradle can berotated about the discharge nozzle by remote automatic hydraulic means,and in the event of automatic failure by remote manual hydraulic means.In providing for remote training of the turret in this invention, theturret device becomes completely operable by both automatic and manualcontrol from a remote position.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a turret base 12 is bolted to theinside roof of the crash truck. The turret device 2 is rotatably mountedWithin the turret base. A train mechanism, comprising a multiplicity ofgears as will be hereafter fully described, is connected to the turretshaft 13 which is integral with the turret device 2. A bracket l4mounted on the turret base, supports the main part of the trainmechanism. Directly connected to the train mechanism is a manuallyoperated handle it which is located at a distance from the turretdevice. To train the turret manually, the operator merely turns thehandle it, driving the train mechanism, rotating the turret shaft [3,and training the turret.

An hydraulic motor l8, which is supported by the bracket [4, is geareddirectly to the train mechanism by the hydraulic motor gear 20.Hydraulic lines 46 and 48 (Fig. 4) lead from either side of the motor toa remote manually operated control valve 50 which is located near themanual handle [6, both preferably situated within easy reach of thetruck driver in the cab of the crash truck. Connected to the valve is anoil supply line 52 to which oil from an oil reservoir 54 is delivered ata suitable pressure of between 500-700 pounds per square inch by anelectrically driven motor 56. To train the turret hydraulically fromthis remote position, the operator merely positions the control valve 59to permit oil to fiow through either line to the hydraulic motor [8,actuating said motor either in a clockwise or counterclockwisedirection, and thus driving the gear mechanism to train the turret. Whenthe operator positions the valve 50 to connect the supply line 52 to onehydraulic line 46 for example, the other line 48 is simultaneouslyconnected to a return line 58 which returns the oil forced out of motorl8 to the reservoir 54.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the turretdevice 2 is rotatably mounted in the turret base [2. The base 12 isbolted to the inside roof of the crash truck while the turret device ismounted within the 3 base through an opening in the roof of the truck.Integral with the turret device and extending through the turret base isthe turret shaft l3. Mounted on the turret shaft I3 is the turret shaftgear 22 which is driven by the train mecha nism. As gear '22 is driven,turret shaft l3 rotates therewith, training the turret. The turret basebracket 1:4 which supports the .-main art of the gearing mechanism is:supported by ithe bracket 23 (Fig. 2) which is bolted to the turretbase [2.

Near one edge of bracket L4, .a handwheel drive shaft 24 is rotatablymounted within a handwheel bearing box 26 which is fixed to the bracketM. The shaft 24 :extends vertically downward through a gear cover 23.the lower end of the shaft 24, the handwheel 3B is zmounted thereon.Handle l6 fixed to the handwheel an is provided for manual operation.The handwheel 38 is locked to the shaft with a lock pin 32. Thehandwheel will rotate with .the shaft at all times whether in manual or,hydraulicioperation.

Also mountedon the shaft 25 within .the gear space is the handwheel,gear which rotates With the shaft. Gear meshes with .the teeth ofintermediate gear .36 and ,in manual operation drives this gear. Alsoemeshing with the :teeth of the intermediate ;4ear liS the hydraulicmotor gear 20. In hydraulic operation, the gear 233 on the shaft of thehydraulic motor l3 drives the intermediate gear 36. This rotation -.of,gear 36 drives the handwheel gear 3.4 which rotates the handwheel driveshaft 124. In manual operation,

the rotationof handwheel gear '34 by the operating handle drives theintermediate gear .85 which in turn drives the hydraulic motor gearrotating :the hydraulic motor shaft, the ef ect of which on thehydraulic system will be hereafter explained. Thus while the turret isbeing trained, whether by hydraulic or manual it neration, the hydraulicmotor gear all, the intermediate gear .38, and the handwheel gear 3.4will all be rotating. Since the remaining ears of the training mechanismdrive off t e intermediate gear, all the gears Within the gear cover 2'3will be moving as long as the turret is being trained. Although thehandwheel gear .34 and motor gear 20 have been shown mounted ondifierent shafts, other gear arrangements may be utilized to train theturret.

The haft 38 on which intermediate gear 3.5 is mounted is rotatablewithin a collar 410 which is mounted on the bracket l4. As theintermediate gear 36 is driven, the shaft 318 rotates therewith. Mountedalso on shaft .38 and rotatin therewith is the :handwheel pin-ion gear42. Gear 42 drives an idler gear 34, which is :rotatabl-y supported bybracket Id. The idler gear 44 in turn drives the turret shaft gear 22which trains the turret.

In the event of a power failure in the hydraulic system, the valve maybe closed, in all probability trapping some oil in lines #6 and 48 andthe hydraulic motor l8. As the turret is trained manually, the shaft ofthe hydraulic motor 18 rotates as has been heretofore explain-ed. Thetrapped oil in the lines and motor resists this :motor rotation and mayprevent it altogether, thus preventing manual operation. To correctthis, a by-pass valve 49, which can be a simple value, is connectedbetween lines 46 and 48 to ipermititheztrapped oil to flow freelybetween the said lines and the motor is, offering no resistance.tomanual operation.

In the preferred embodiment, the turret device is shown mounted on theroof of the crash truck. In the operation of this .turret it is notdesirable to train it through 36.0 degrees {to permit the projection offire'extinguishing material over the rear vof thetruck. '-I2o preventthis a limit stop (Fig. 2-) fixed 1130 the bracket M :rides :in anarcuate groove turret shaft gear The groove subtends an :are equal tothe desired amount of train, for example SOD-degrees, and as the limitstop strikes the end of the groove, the turret can be turned no further.The pump '55 then vbuilds .up pressure, but the construction of motor i8is :such, as will be understood with those skilled in this art, that :itis undamaged by the application (of pressure when it is stopped.

Having .thus described my invention, .1 claim:

lvlechanism for remotely training "a fire fighting turret comprising,incembinationa shaft integral With the turret, :a gear secured 13.0 theshaft, a permanently connected gear train in mesh with said gearincluding .a igearmanually turnable by a remotely located handle, areversible rotary hydraulic motor, a ear in said train secured to theshaft of the meter, and hydraulic control ystem for the motor includinga source of hydraulic fluid, a unidirectional pump, .a reversing valvemanually turnable by means located near said handle to qconnect themotor lines alternatively with the pressure and return lines of thepump, and a lay-pass value connected directly between the 'mcrterilines.

References Qited in the file :of this patent STATES PATENTS Number NameDate 2,1 ,4 3 .Dean Jan. 18, 1938 2,288,076 .Er'l'ing June 30, 19422,348,460 Fennema et .al May 9, 1944 2,387,215 Fawkes Oct. 16, 1945

